Rainfall
by Finnov
Summary: Alana's childhood. You MUST have read 'Softly Falls the Rain' to understand this. I will NOT be retelling important details at all. Chapter four, Family reunions, and a warg attack!
1. The Begining

****

Into Mirkwood

Finnov

King Thranduil of Mirkwood sat on his throne overlooking a group of twelve dirty dwarves. From there he could still hear his son's frantic pacing. He smiled at this thought. Legolas wasn't calming down well. Not even he had been so nervous at his eldest son's, Bractintoa, birth. But, Legolas was more like his mother, so of course he was a bit frenzied. He was the youngest and had never known someone new to be born. Thranduil smiled as he thought how all six of his sons had come at terrible times. All of them loved to look on children, especially newborns. 

"Milord?" 

Thranduil blinked himself out of his memories and looked to where his guards were standing, waiting for the judgment of the dwarves.

Sighing, Thranduil began.

"Where do you come from, where are you going, and what are you doing in Mirkwood?" 

The dwarves looked at him for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to lie to him. Thranduil sighed again, this was going to be a long day.

***

Legolas was pacing up and down the corridor in the Healing Wing of the palace. The screams of pain from within the closed room were really getting him. His father was downstairs dealing with some dwarf, and he was up here about to become a father. 

A new wail rose in the room next to him, and a healer came out a second later.

"You may go in." She said.

Legolas stepped into the room, his wife was laying on the beg propped up with a few pillows. A human girl was running in and out of the room quickly. 

Legolas sat on the edge of the bed and stared down at the tiny babe wrapped up in a blanket. The little blue eyes stared up at his identical eyes, and a small pink hand wrapped around a lock of golden hair that had fallen onto her face. 

"What is our little joy's name?" He asked Novthôl without looking up.

"I wanted to give her an easy name." Come the weary response. Novthôl didn't expect her dear husband to look up when he was so infatuated with the tiny bundle in her arms. _He's probably never seen a newborn before, let alone his own daughter. _"maybe a human one." 

Legolas just nodded his consent to her idea. 

"I thought of a good name. Alana." 

"Yes. Alana." Legolas said.

The door opened, and it startled Novthôl, but the others in the room didn't seem to care.

It was Aleaega, Queen of Mirkwood. Behind her Thranduil came in, and they looked down at their little granddaughter, and the tiny fist around their son's hair.

"She seems to favor your hair, Legolas." Aleaega said.

"Yes. What have you named her?"

"Something simple, and human. Alana." Novthôl replied.

Aleaega smiled. She was already fond of the small creature that her son couldn't tear his eyes from.

A small wail erupted from the tiny Elf, and Aleaega squeezed her son's shoulder, telling him "I think she's hungry, so I will kindly dispose of Legolas for you, Novthôl." 

Novthôl nodded, and waited for her husband to be removed from the room before beginning to nurse the tiny child.

Legolas sat down on a bench outside of the room. That adorable creature was his daughter? That beautiful baby? That was his Alana? Legolas sat and thought for a good long while about the small life he had helped to start.

Thranduil sat down next to him. 

"So, someone in this family finally decided to give us a female heir!" Aleaega happily announced. Though she loved every one of her sons, she finally had a little girl to help raise. All of their children and grandchildren to this day had been male, and now there was a little iell.

Legolas was still quite shaken up, so he turned and dropped his head onto his father's shoulder, just waiting to calm down. 

"Oh, don't worry over your wife, Legolas." Thranduil said to Legolas while running his fingers through his son's hair, as he had done when Legolas was young. "She'll be up and playing, not to mention beating everyone at, Manloth in a few days."

Legolas smiled. It was true, his wife was the only female gambler he knew of, and had legally been one for two years. She would probably teach Alana how to play, too. His whole reputation would be destroyed, everyone already found it funny that his wife could beat him at Manloth, but his daughter too? 

Legolas through his head back and laughed. This was going to be an interesting new family life.

****

TBC

So, whattya think? It may be a little bit off, because I'm a little distressed today. The Columbia disappeared or something today, and I had really been wanting it to land. Pray for the families of those on that shuttle. Until next time!


	2. Two Days Later

__

Two Days Later

Alana was two days old, and had already won out the adoration of the whole realm, and beyond. Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn came a few hours after her birth, and Lord Elrond had arrived a few hours later. They had blessed the elfling, and been spell bounded for life. There was no way that they going to be able to leave her without leaving a bit of themselves. 

Novthô l did not like being in bed, like many maidens did after birth. She was twitchy as she was unhappily locked into her room by a group of healers who had chased her down at the tavern gambling. After sending the other players away, they had locked the maiden in her room, and she had heard the keys being thrown into a rose bush outside. But, anyone who knew Novthô l, would know that she was not going to be stopped by a petty door, so Legolas had guards posted outside of her door. 

But he had forgotten the window.

Novthô l climbed down the side of the palace with Alana strapped onto her back by her ripped curtains. Some of the servants outside in the gardens saw this with amusement. The maiden leapt over the windows, until she found the one she wanted, which was in the hall.

Novthô l slammed her foot into the window, and it shattered. Shards of sharp glass lay all around the hall, and many elves were coming to investigate. Novthô l knew this, of course, and had already taken off down the hall. 

The elves arrived in the crime scene, and Legolas instantly recognized Novthô l's style. Only she would do that sort of thing. It was at this exact moment that the healers realized that their captive had escaped. A short, sharp scream filled the air. Novthô l flinched and tried to settle the now awake and rather unamused Alana. 

Alana seemed to be asking, "Why'd ya hafta take me out of my nice bed?" Her eyes were wide and teary. She let out a howl, and Novthô l clamped her free hand over her ear. Now she'd be found. She quickly silenced the child with a bag of marbles shaking in front of her. Alana thought that the marbles looked scrumptious, and decided it was her job to eat them.

Legolas and a group of other guards going down to guard the dwarves passed Novthô l's hiding [place and she decided to follow. Pulling a cloak that Lady Galadriel had given to her, she walked down the hall, blending in perfectly. 

They walked down a stair case, well, all but Legolas walked down a staircase.

Legolas dropped down the railing of the stair case to the floor silently, and walked to where the last tapestry furled. Pressing a knot in the wall, a secret door was opened and Legolas knew he had found the alleged 'dungeons'. 

Before the door closed behind the prince another Elf slipped into the dark hall, and so did the invisible Mr. Baggins, though no one else knew.

Novthôl hugged her daughter to her as she stepped into the dank lower halls that were only in legends. It was said that Oropher created the lower halls when the palace was built in case of emergency, and if Mirkwood was under war women and children who were not trained warriors would hide in the pitch black halls. Not even the smallest bit of sunlight was in the place. 

There was a small choked wail, and Legolas stopped and pivoted. Legolas sighed.

"You're supposed to be in bed." He said, discovering the intruder.

Novthôl glared at him. "I'm not going to stay in bed forever, Legolas!"

"You gave birth two days ago! You need to recover your strength!" 

Novthôl leaned foreword and kissed Legolas soundly. "Maybe this is how I recover strength. My husband staying with me and moving!"

"Go back to bed!"

Novthôl glared at Legolas again, before calmly asking, "Want me to punch you in the jaw?" She curled her hand into a fist.

"You wouldn't." 

"I could."

"I didn't say that you couldn't. I said you won't, because even if you do break all etiquette for Elf maidens you wouldn't actually hurt me."

In one moment he was proven wrong. 

Rubbing his sore jaw, Legolas gave up and walked over to the dwarf he was assigned to watch. He sat down and watched as, despite her earlier words, his wife left and went back upstairs and to bed. 

A chuckle from the dwarf behind him roused him from his thoughts.

"Feisty woman, eh?" 

"Well, you wouldn't survive a day with her, Master Dwarf." Legolas responded.

"Why are we being kept down here?" The dwarf asked.

Legolas shrugged.

"Why, that stupid King! Locking us down here for no apparent reason!" The dwarf would had gone n if he hadn't seen the Elf smile.

"My father isn't being cruel, nor stupid. He's being paranoid!" Legolas laughed.

"Paranoid?"

"How would you feel if you had a grandchild being born at the same time you're trying to deal with some political business? My father was scared you would kidnap my little one!"

***

Novthôl glared at the wall, how dare her husband speak so! She was rather glad to have given him one in the jaw, and leave him to his dull duties. Twisting in bed, she wondered if she could escape again, and find somewhere no one would ever find her. An observation of the garden below proved that she would never use that escape plan again. 

Sighing, she laid down in bed and let her mind wonder her to sleep.

***

Alana looked around the room, and let out a gurgle of glee at the funny writing on the ceiling. She began to giggle a little, and then it became a giggling fit. 

The door opened and a familiar person walked in. 

"What's so funny little person?" Legolas asked as he lifted up his daughter, and bounced her happily in his arms. 

Alana giggled some more, and reached up to catch some of the golden hair that flowed over Legolas' shoulders. She twisted some of the caught strands in her hand a few times, before beginning to suck on it. 

Legolas grinned when he saw his daughter begin to suck on his hair. 

"Now, now. I don't think you want to suck on that, do you sweetie?" He asked, removing the hair gently from between clamped lips. 

Alana found her play thing being taken away, and began to wail. Her eyes became teary and she began to wiggle, trying to capture her toy again.

Legolas looked around absolutely clueless. About what to do. He hadn't handled with a teary elfling yet, and his wife was peacefully asleep. 

"Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh." He said soothingly. "It's okay, shh, you can get another sucker." Legolas bounced Alana for a few minuets, and then when he had soothed Alana, he cuddled her close to himself. 

Alana snuggled closer to the warmth, bringing up a thumb to suck on. She wrapped her hand around her father's warrior's braid, though she didn't know that's what it was, and listened to the steady drumming noise in her ear. Her father's heartbeat. Calm and gentle, just like him, and one of the few things that she would never forget, no matter how old she got.

R/R I'm sooo sorry for not updating. We've had everything from terrorist threats to two and a half feet of snow around my house, and it's a bit preoccupying. If you haven't yet noticed, I have been using clips out of 'Softly Falls the Rain' in this story. Also I brought up one thing you might want to remember. Throughout these stories I've always talked about how Alana listened to her father's heartbeat. It's worth remembering. 


	3. Enter Nilcoire

__

Enter Nilcoire

One would say that Mirkwood was infested with wolves and undomesticated cats, and more or less that the Elves there were in league with those evils. Truth of the matter was in most circumstances, that the animals there were in league with them. 

In Mirkwood there are two stables without stalls next to the palace. The smaller stable was for the horses on wet or frozen days when it was unfit for the pack to run in the forest or meadow near the palace. In the hay within there also lay small animals and pets, kept mostly for amusement, like ferrets, squirrels, chipmunks, or rabbits. In the loft of the barn were birds that belonged for amusement, as well as falcons and eagles for delivering messages and hunting. 

In the second barn, which was at least four times larger, were off duty guard dogs, foxes, and hunting wolves. There were about a hundred dogs that guarded the palace, and all others were at their master's homes. There were thousands upon thousands of foxes and wolves, each tagged by his or her owner. 

You see, when a young male elf was born, they would be given a male wolf to look after them. These wolves were always assassinators* grey wolves. When the elfling turned eight, they were given a female assassinator grey wolf to be a mate for the leading wolf. When they turned twelve they got four white wolves*, which were caught and trained for them, not to mention immortalized, directly for the Mirkwood Mountains. Then they would turn fifteen they were given four black or silver body wolves*, who were the strongest and most dangerous of all the wolves. Ten wolves were given for hunting and war purposes, all other wolves had to be gotten by other means. Foxes were caught in traps, healed, and then bred and trained in captivity. These could be bought from markets. They were used for the same things as wolves, and sometimes in the same pack.

Legolas Greenleaf had quite a pack. Two thousand wolves and fifteen hundred foxes, of all types, ruled by Nilcoire. They slept on his floor in his bedroom, and Nilcoire slept on his bed, and ate in the dining hall. Yes, they were the ones with a real life. But they, like their master, were warriors, and so whenever their master went out to war, there was a chance that they would not all come back. 

Nilcoire had just had a very hard week working to help one of his master's friends with his pack, since their leader was out with an injury. Today was his first day home, and so, of course, was not informed of the new blessing sleeping in his master's room. 

***

Nilcoire was fast asleep over his master's feet when it happened. A scream of bloody murder filled his sensitive ears. Whimpering, the wolf sat up, and saw in amazement that most everyone else simply rolled over. 

"Honey, go check on Alana." Novthô l said, twisting over to face the other direction. 

Legolas yawned and sat up as another scream split the air. He took note of Nilcoire, whom he hadn't seem coming in. "Why don't we go see what Alana wants." He said as he gently rubbed the wolf's forehead. 

Standing up, Legolas walked over the mounds of sleeping mammals to where a giant crib sat. "I don't remember making this much noise at her age." Legolas said to Nilcoire as he came up behind the crib. 

Nilcoire put both front paws on the edge of the crib the look over into the crib as Legolas scooped up the little girl. He bounced the baby lightly in his arms, cooing down at her whilst trying to figure out why the baby cried out. A crack of thunder and a flash of lightning illuminated the baby, who began to howl while she grasped onto her father's hair. 

Nilcoire noted this all sourly, not wanting his night to be interrupted by the baby howling in fright. Why couldn't his dense master figure out it was the storm that was frightening the child so much? Leaping lightly into the crib he curled up, his chin resting on his front paws, giving just enough space between his legs for the baby to be laid. Legolas seem to understand what his wolf friend was saying.

Laying Alana in space between Nilcoire's legs, and began to stroke her small face. She soon fell asleep, acquainting herself with the new heartbeat she heard. 

"Thanks Nilcoire. 'Night Alana, meleth-nin." (My love) Legolas nodded at the wolf, remembering his own days with Nilcoire in his cradle asleep next to him. Then he went back to bed. He wasn't awoken again that night. 

***

Not a day passed after that, that Nilcoire didn't sleep next to Alana. Though when she had nightmares, she would awaken her parents in fright, but otherwise she was snuggled against the warm wolf. Nilcoire easily grew to love the child that night, and forever did.

R/R I'm sorry this is so short! But if you would REVIEW I might be tempted to write things even longer. Don't suspect that someone else will review for you. 

****

All things marked with an * are things you can learn more about reading 'Where Mirkwood Was.' 


	4. Family Reunion

__

Family Reunion

Alana's fingers were slipped between her mother's and father's. They were swinging her gently up and down the wooded path as they walked to another family reunion. 

This time the reunion was on a big, open hill, where the children could easily occupy themselves. The women would sit around and gossip, while the men just talked, about women, orc attacks, women, jobs, women, kids and family life, oh, and did I mention women? Yeah, that was a reunion. Just a big family that would never see each other otherwise, stuck together, talking and playing. 

Alana used this to her advantage, because even being a young toddler, she knew that if you looked cute enough, everyone dotes on you. Her father would most likely carry her around and show her off to everyone, because mother would be taking a nap. They had had a long, noisy night. It always happened before a reunion, even though in Alana's lifetime, there had only been one other. 

They soon arrived in the clearing. It was a lush hill, with around a hundred Elves running and laying about. They saw the whole family, uncles, aunts, cousins, and all, spread out among the grass. 

Novthô l leaned over and kissed Legolas' cheek, "I'm going to go take my nap." She then kissed Alana on her forehead, "Don't spoil her, dear." With that, she turned and walked off with a blanket. 

Legolas smiled after his wife, and began to daydream about what had happened that night, when Alana suddenly pulled his arm. Kneeling down so he could look into his daughter's eyes, Legolas asked, "Yes, my little one?" 

Alana opened her arms in a motion meaning, "Pick me up!" Legolas laughed and swept his daughter up.

Legolas walked over where his father and brothers, (Not to mention the male in-laws) stood talking. Maltaethir, second youngest of Thranduil's sons, youngest being Legolas, turned to their approach quickly.

"Well, lookie here, a brat and an adorable, kidnapped little girl!" Maltaethir teased. He tickled Alana for a moment, until the golden haired child slapped at his hand with a giggle. He watched as Alana sunk back and wrapped her fingers around her father's warrior braid, happily playing with it. 

"Still plays with your hair, I see." Maltaethir commented, while running his fingers through Alana's hair. 

"Well, that's just because my hair is considerably prettier than yours." Legolas said, quite seriously, making the others laugh. Maltaethir mock glared at him, while fingering his raven hair. 

"Nah," Maltaethir said, "I think she wants to rip it out so that there is a chance of your hair being nearly as soft and nice as my own." These jests were normal, and so no one was very worried about it, they could make a spectacle of themselves if they wanted. 

Alana gave her uncle a questioning gaze, she only was playing with her father's hair! How dare she laugh at her! Wiggling in her father's arms, she launched herself at her uncle, only to be caught by her grandfather, who had foreseen this. 

"I think, perhaps, little one, you should go take a nap." Thranduil smiled, and walked her to where her mother was blissfully napping. Lying next to Novthô l was Nilcoire and Minyasereg, a runt from the newest litter of cubs born to the wolf pack. Thranduil laid her between her mother and wolf, and let them be.

Legolas, meanwhile, had gone to speak to his mother. Aleaega looked pleasantly surprised with her own youngest when he came and laid on the grass before her as she stitched.

"You are troubled." She said, touching the problem with her usual motherly fashion. 

"Just a little. Novthô l and I have been worrying on how to get Alana to speak to us. She never will, she can, she did so before, but she has just stopped." Legolas sighed, and rolled over on his back.

"Hmm. Well, I wouldn't know. You and your brothers were all talkers. Bubbling on in your language that no one could understand, and then when you learned Elvish, you still made no sense what so ever." Aleaega smiled sadly. That been so long ago, it felt, that she had held all of her children as babies, and now they were all so much older, and three married happily with children of their own. 

She pulled another stitch into the cloak she was making. It would be for Alana when she was older. 

Legolas crawled up next to his mother, and leaned his head on her shoulder, kissing her cheek and watching her stitch as he had done when he was very young. Yes, these were the things memories were made of. 

***

The party had lasted all day, and now everyone lay under the stars, sharing stories and songs. Alana lay against her father as he sung, and listened to her mother's beautiful voice next door. They lulled her to sleep, and soon she was listening to her father's beating heart again, and was lulled into darkness. Before she was completely asleep, she said, "Night Ada, night Atara." Then she gave in.

Legolas and Novthô l stopped singing for a moment, to kiss their daughter to sleep, and say goodnight to her. They then leaned over and gave each other a sound kiss. 

They stood up, and wished all goodnight, hugging the people that they most likely not see until another reunion. 

As they walked through the dark forest, Legolas wore his weapons openly. He was challenging any beast that may come upon him. Nilcoire had given Minyasereg over to Novthô l just like Legolas had done with Alana, and had his teeth bared and ready for a fight. 

A deep howl pierced the woods. They had been seen by wargs. Around a hundred of them stepped out of the shadows. It was a large pack, and they were venomous. Wargs were pretty easy to take down, but Novthô l couldn't stay with Alana, lest they be killed. Seeing an escape, he quickly said to his wife. 

"Leave! I'll hold them off long enough!" He pulled out his knives as Novthô l ran quickly from there, and towards the palace. It was easy to see that the wargs wouldn't get her, but they had the other elf.

One leapt at Legolas, and Legolas through his dagger into the creature's belly, with a mournful howl the creature died. Swinging his knives he began to cut down one beast after another, and Nilcoire bit the throats of the ones who'd attack him. One large warg attacked Nilcoire suddenly, and threw the lithe wolf against the tree, knocking him unconscious. All the attention was the elf know. 

Legolas fought for almost an hour, and more wargs had been drawn to the fight. He suddenly heard a twang of a bowstring, and one of the wargs of the side of the battle fell. He turned to see his brothers and father that had just arrived on sight leaping into the fray. In the moment he looked away, he didn't see the warg leap from behind, and didn't know that he was bitten until he fell to the ground bleeding heavily as the venom from the warg's fangs sank into his system. The battle faded into blackness. 

***

Novthô l lay on her bed, waiting for her husband to arrive home. It had been several hours she had left her husband in the attack. It never took his so long. What if he was injured? What if no one found him? What if he was dead? Novthô l began to cry. 

***

Thranduil entered the palace carrying his son in his arms. Gently he carried his youngest to the healing rooms, sending a messenger to Novthô l about her husband. 

Just as they had laid Legolas on the bed Novthô l arrived the room, her face pale and wet from tears. 

"What happened? Is Legolas okay? Why is he unconscious?" Novthô l began to let out a long list of questions. 

"Shh, shh." Thranduil took his daughter-in-law into his arms, and tried to comfort her. "Legolas shall be fine." he tried to make her understand. 

Novthô l reached out her hand and touched Legolas' face. She was frightened with the discovery that her husband had a growing fever. 

"Was he poisoned?" She asked, remembering the wargs venomous fangs. 

Thranduil bowed his head, he hadn't wanted to be the one to break it to her that her husband may not last the night. "Yes." He answered.

Novthô l began to wail again. She reached out and began to stroke her husband's face. A servant came in with a healer, and they began to work on the bite wounds, pouring as much of a poison killing potion as they were allowed to onto each bandage and in each wound.

Legolas moaned every once and in a while, twisting and writhing from the pain. Novthô l held his hand and rubbed it gently. As the healers began on the main wound, Novthô l could see her husband would most likely scream when the foul potion was poured into the wound, and she knew she wouldn't be able to stand it. So as the began to pour it into the would, before Legolas could scream she pressed her mouth against his, stifling any sound that would come. When she ended the kiss she saw that her husband still slept, only know he seemed much calmer, though his eyes were closed with pain. 

Alana looked through the door. She had awoken without her Nilcoire next to her, and neither of her parents were there. 

"Atara?" Novthô l turned at the voice and opened her arms up to the toddler. As Alana climbed into her embrace, she saw her 'Ada'. 

"Ada?" She asked, nudging him wither hand. "Ada!" She began to shake and tug his hand.

"Shh, honey. Your father very tired. Let him sleep." Novthô l didn't know how she was supposed to tell her daughter that her father may never wake up.

She didn't have to. A second later Nilcoire walked into the room, sopping wet from being bathed to clean his wound, and running from Maltaethir who had a towel in his hands. Legolas at this time also moaned and turned over, blinking his eyes open. 

Alana threw herself into her father's chest happily, and Nilcoire took refuge from the evil towel shaking his wet fur out all over his master. Legolas laughed with the rest of the family as Maltaethir held the towel up protect himself from the water, and everyone else was promptly soaked. Nilcoire gave a happy yip before licking his master and sending Maltaethir a smug look. Then Nilcoire picked Alana up by the collar of her gown and carried her up to bed, purposely rubbing his wet body against Maltaethir. 

"I don't think that your wolf likes baths." Everyone in the room laughed.

"You just figured that out?"

R/R **REVIEW OR I'LL COME AFTER YOU WITH MY WOLF PACK!!!!!! **Okay, now that that is out of my system, I beg you to review. 


End file.
